A nuclear weapon-free world an inspring ideal

In recent years, "a nuclear weapon-free world" has become a worldwide campaign. US President Barack Obama pledged to take steps for a nuclear weapon-free world in his speech in Prague on April 5, after the US and Russia issued a joint statement on April 1 declaring that the two countries will continue to negotiate a new nuclear weapons reduction treaty.

In 2007 and 2008, former US secretaries of State Henry Kissinger and George Shultz, former Defense Secretary William Perry and former Senator Sam Nunn, jointly wrote articles in the Wall Street Journal calling for a nuclear weapon-free world. Australia and Japan established the International Committee on Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament last September; UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for nuclear disarmament several times in his speeches; and, people from all walks of life proposed Global Zero in December.

It is the immediate as well as long-term need to make nuclear disarmament return to the diplomatic agenda of the US and Russia. During the eight years of the Bush Administration, bilateral disarmament of the US and Russia almost came to a standstill. The First Stage of Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), which was signed by the US and Russia in 1991, is due to expire on Dec 5, 2009, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference will be held again in 2010. The US and Russia should not only implement their disarmament commitments to the non-nuclear-weapon states but also consider how to continue reducing their nuclear arsenals after the expiry of the treaty.